Ben Harding

[Modgull]

Wasn't at the game yesterday but noticed that he only got one star in the Sunday Independent so he must have been c**p (again!)

Mind you he wasn't alone in getting one star - I think Ball and Hawley also got the ultimate "accolade".

[AustrianAndyGull]

Will Knill keep the faith with him on Saturday or will Knill consider 'resting' him.

[Scott Brehaut]

Harding needs to be dropped - even my dead grandparents can see it and they all been dead for at least ten years.

Sort it out Juan - or f**k off

[AustrianAndyGull]

Harding needs to be dropped - even my dead grandparents can see it and they all been dead for at least ten years.

Sort it out Juan - or f**k off

I wish you'd say what you mean, stop holding back.

[Scott Brehaut]

You know me Andy - I'm a huge Juan fan........

[AustrianAndyGull]

Sounds like Ben had a better game at Rochdale. I've been thinking (ok run for cover) and I reckon that Plainmoor Roar's formation suggestion may be a saving grace for Harding. For those of you who may not have seen it, I think it is on the Cheltenham thread, PR suggested he would like to see a midfield 3 of Mansell, Craig and Harding. Now first of all I think the poor performances of Ben were made to look worse by the fact that Chappell has been largely ineffective (Cobblers aside) and Cameron and Bodin (although at Rochdale he had a better game) have been pants. If Craig played then the sole responsibility for creativity in the middle would be down to him and all Harding and Manse need do is fend off threats in their areas.

Leave the playmaking to Craig and leave Ben to get his head down and repel opposition threats. I feel he and Manse often got in each others way and weren't on the same wavelength but having Craig splitting them in the middle could be the solution to improving performances and looking more offensive. If Ben is to be a success at Torquay then I feel a change of tack is needed as kept as it is he will continue to be a scapegoat when maybe he DOES have some ability for us to use. If he fails here and excels elsewhere then Knill really DOESN'T have a clue.

[ferrarilover]

We've got defenders to defend, why the insistence that we need the midfield to defend also?

We've conceded an infeasably high nuber of goals this year, but have a look at them. We shipped 4 at Fleetwood, ok, but we aren't playing Fleetwood every week. We shipped 3 to Oxford, which looks bad, but that was from the only three shots they had all game. Again, that won't happen every week. It's not at the back where we are struggling, it's going forward. Half our goals conceded could be eliminated if we dropped Harding, because we'd retain the ball much better. Equally, we'd create twice as many chances per game with Craig in the middle.
People bang on about Craig not being so hot defensively, as if Ben Harding is. How often does he get mugged in the middle of the park while he's dawdling about, trying to find an opponent to pass to? How many aerial battles does he lose? How many times does he lose possession with a crap pass? Sure, Craig isn't perfect, but I reckon in a straight swap Harding out and Craig in, we'd actually be better off both offensively and defensively, restricting the opposition to less time on the ball while creating more chances ourselves.
Lest we forget, Eunan was hardly a tower of strength in the middle and he did alright for himself.

Matt.

[PhilGull]

If Real Madrid need Sammi Khedira and Barcelona need Sergei Buskets then I think it's understandable for people to say we need a defensive midfielder too.
I keep hearing people mention O'Kane but how often did he play in the middle of a 4-4-2? He spent most of his time playing as the most advanced of a midfield three with Lathrope AND Mansell behind him.

[AustrianAndyGull]

That's what we need to do then, a 4-3-3 with Craig in the more advance central role purely because he's our only creative player that can fit in there. Whether he is up to the job who knows but we have p*ss all else so it could work. Get Lathrope back in then and dump Harding on the bench and hope Mansell still has the legs.

The more I think about this the more I believe a 4-3-3 system will improve us and our style of play. If we have such pacy and tricky attackers like Chappell, Bodin, Hawley and Thompson then why should we be worrying about conceding goals? Why aren't we using them to tear the sh*t out of defenders? Because the balance is all wrong I reckon and in addition we are wasting starting places having identical players when we should only be starting one of them. Mansell or Harding? We can't have both and we're wasting a starting berth by playing 2 identical players so we get double of not very much. Hawley and Ball, both have to be content with holding the ball up and not getting any chances, why are both playing when 1 of them can do the job of 2?

Appalling team selections in all honesty IMO and Knill doesn't seem to be seeing the possibilities of what we could be.

[ferrarilover]

If Real Madrid need Sammi Khedira and Barcelona need Sergei Buskets then I think it's understandable for people to say we need a defensive midfielder too.
I keep hearing people mention O'Kane but how often did he play in the middle of a 4-4-2? He spent most of his time playing as the most advanced of a midfield three with Lathrope AND Mansell behind him.

That's lovely, a defensive midfielder I can tolerate. How about that Mansell fella, he could probably hack that role.

It's a straight swap, Harding out, Craig in. No fancy Real Madridesque formations which look like a Mongolian phone number. No buggering about playing 6 goalkeepers and no strikers, just in case Craig misses a tackle. No old bollocks. Just remove the worst player in the Football League and replace him with someone who isn't.

Matt.

[Dave]

I find myself for once on a footballing matter agreeing with you Matt, not convinced by Craig, however right now think I would swap him for Harding, no need for the fancy stuff.

And with Knill you will not get it, we can go on all we like about 3 in midfield, AK has made it quite clear they working with Craig as part of a 2 man midfield, AK's Bury side from what I can remember were 4-4-2 with out the ball, and 4-2-4 with it. I will be very surprised if he changed to anything else.

[Popside Joe]

Only seen one game so far but on Saturday's evidence Harding needs to be dropped. Are we actually signing Mozika? Reports from a Bury fan mate are that he's pretty tasty.

[ferrarilover]

Keep up son, he's been here a while now.

Matt.

[brucie]

As for your dead grandparents - well they have seen as many Torquay games as you have in the last ten years - calling for a player to be dropped who you have actually never seen play for Torquay is quite frankly absurd.

[Scott Brehaut]

As for your dead grandparents - well they have seen as many Torquay games as you have in the last ten years - calling for a player to be dropped who you have actually never seen play for Torquay is quite frankly absurd.

About as absurd as your posts slagging off performances at games that you don't go to Terrence.